Updated: September 28 2013
What Is It?Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), also known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate, is the ester of epigallocatechin and gallic acid, and is a type of catechin. It is the catechins such as EGCG that are considered to be the healthy compounds in tea.
Where Can It Be Found?
EGCG is found in green tea (Camellia Sinensis), but not in black tea (Camellia Sinensis).
Green tea contains approximately 50mg of EGCG.
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What Does Research Say?
1. Weight loss (fat mass loss); but this is non-significant (unreliable) and probably not noticeable in healthy individuals. [1,2,3,4,5,6]
2. Increase fat oxidation (percentage of overall calories used coming from fatty acids rather than glucose); but this is unreliable and non-significant. [6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]
3. Reduction in LDL-C. [3,14,15,16]
4. Possible improvements in insulin sensitivity. [12,17,18]
5. Increase in HDL-C; non-significant though. [1,15,16]
6. Increase (small) in blood flow. [19]
7. Decrease in heart rate (HR). [9,20]
Do You Need This Supplement?
May lead to weight loss.
Verdict: May be added to your supplement stack for weigth loss
Recommended Dosage (Used in Research)
1. Fat burning: 400-500 mg/daily of EGCG (most Green Tea Extract supplements are roughly 50% EGCG). You may add caffeine (read the disclaimer)
2. Cancer prevention: 200 mg/ 3 times daily or higher
Where Can You Buy EGCG?
Amazon.com
Side Effects of This Supplement
1. Due to too much caffeine in green tea (>5 cups/day): headache, nervousness, sleep problems, vomiting, diarrhea, irritability, irregular heartbeat, tremor, heartburn, dizziness, ringing in the ears, convulsions, confusion, and liver toxicity in rare cases
2. Due to isolated EGCG: EGCG supplements have been linked with acute liver failure. [21]
References
1. Green tea improves metabolic biomarkers, not weight or body composition: a pilot study in overweight breast cancer survivors.
2. Effects of catechin enriched green tea on body composition
3. Catechin safely improved higher levels of fatness, blood pressure, and cholesterol in children
4. Green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced abdominal fat loss in overweight and obese adults
5. The effects of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance: a meta-analysis
6. The effects of catechin rich teas and caffeine on energy expenditure and fat oxidation: a meta-analysis
7. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate and postprandial fat oxidation in overweight/obese male volunteers: a pilot study
8. The effects of EGCG on fat oxidation and endurance performance in male cyclists
9. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate increases maximal oxygen uptake in adult humans
10 .Effect of moderate intakes of different tea catechins and caffeine on acute measures of energy metabolism under sedentary conditions
11. The effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate on thermogenesis and fat oxidation in obese men: a pilot study
12. Green tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans
13. Effect of endurance training supplemented with green tea extract on substrate metabolism during exercise in humans
14. Effect of 2-month controlled green tea intervention on lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, and hormone levels in healthy postmenopausal women
15. Prospective double-blind crossover study of Camellia sinensis (green tea) in dyslipidemias
16. Effect of green tea extract on obese women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
17. Does supplementation with green tea extract improve insulin resistance in obese type 2 diabetics? A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trial
18. Effects of dietary supplementation with the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate on insulin resistance and associated metabolic risk factors: randomized controlled trial
19. Tea consumption enhances endothelial-dependent vasodilation; a meta-analysis
20. Epigallocatechin gallate, cerebral blood flow parameters, cognitive performance and mood in healthy humans: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover investigation
21. Acture Liver Failure Induced by Green Tea Extracts: Case Report and Review of the Literature
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